A Special LB

The Eagles have had a lot of great linebackers over the years. Chuck Bednarik was a powerhouse player in his era. Bill Bergey was a tackling machine who led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance. Byron Evans and Willie T were stars for the Gang Green defenses of the late 80’s and early 90’s. Jeremiah Trotter was the hammer for Andy Reid’s teams and helped the team get to another Super Bowl.

Seth Joyner was on another level.

Joyner was the left outside LB, or LOLB. Tight ends lined up to his side lot, making him the SAM. Back then, that gave him a lot to do. He first had to play the run. That meant setting the edge to keep the RB contained. Then you wanted to shed the block and get to the ball. On passing downs Joyner would either drop into coverage or blitz. He was outstanding at both. He had 52 career sacks, an impressive total for a 4-3 LB.

Seth Joyner pic.twitter.com/qVaLQpO1KT

— Old Time Football (@Ol_TimeFootball) February 24, 2024

Joyner really stood out in coverage. He was a terrific athlete and had the agility to run with backs or TEs out in space. Joyner was instinctive. He also had good ball skills and good hands. He finished his career with 24 INTs. Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner will each get some Hall of Fame consideration. They have a combined 24 years in the league and 25 INTs between them. Brian Urlacher finished his career with 22.

Seth Joyner was one of the best LB

195 gm | 1123 tkl | 52 sck | 24 int |

Seth is the only 50/20 LB in NFL history #FlyEaglesFly @sethjoyner | @JAKIBSports pic.twitter.com/yYVVzVmw3L

— All About The Birds (@AATBirds) March 24, 2023

When Joyner went to the Cardinals in the mid-90’s he even played some safety for them due to injuries. He was a unique talent.

Joyner’s skill, athleticism and playmaking ability made him special. His physicality and ferocity made him great. Some players have a chip on their shoulder. Joyner had a boulder on his. He was ultra-competitive and incredibly driven. Being an 8th round pick from UTEP meant there would be no sense of entitlement. Joyner earned everything he got. He fought his way to the top.

Physical ability was only part of the equation. Joyner was also smart. Playing in Buddy Ryan’s 46 Defense meant LBs were asked to do a lot. They were given a ton of chances to make plays, but there was pressure to know your assignment and to be able to execute it. Too many people think the 46 Defense was basically an 8-man front. It was so much more than that. The complexity is what made it overwhelming when it was run well.

Joyner prepared hard off the field. He spent a lot of time studying tape so he would be ready to do everything asked of him. Joyner later played for Bud Carson, another defensive coordinator known for complex gameplans. Joyner thrived under Carson as well as Ryan.

It’s unfortunate that Joyner came along when he did. The 3-4 took over the NFL in the 80’s. That meant LBs were either supposed to be pass rushers or tackling machine MLB types. TV loved Lawrence Taylor and Mike Singletary. Joyner got lost in the shuffle until 1991. He played great in the Monday night classic we know as the House of Pain Game.

Joyner finished with 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 sacks as the Eagles limited the top offense in the NFL to just 6 points. That performance got him a lot of attention. Joyner came up second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year. Sports Illustrated actually named Joyner the NFL Player of the Year. 1991 was great for Joyner and Gang Green.

It is crazy to think he only went to three Pro Bowls. That goes back to the league loving pass rushers. Joyner should be in consideration for the Hall of Fame, but sadly that’s not happening. People don’t have any appreciation for a 4-3 OLB anymore.

I hope younger Eagles fans do appreciate Joyner and what a great player he was.

From a personal perspective, Reggie White is my favorite player of all time. Joyner is number two. He was so much fun to watch. Joyner could line up like a DE and rush the passer. He could blitz. He stayed on the field in the nickel defense. Joyner was an outstanding run defender. He was tough, physical and just made things happen.

Aesthetically, he just looked cool. Joyner looked like a badass LB.

That dude is getting ready to make something happen. Might be a big hit. He might strip the ball from the RB. Joyner looked the part and he played the part.

I miss the days of the Eagles having great LBs. From 1991 to 1993 the Eagles had Joyner, Byron Evans and William Thomas. That was truly a great trio. The Eagles will find another stud LB at some point. He won’t be as good as Seth Joyner, but not many people are.

Special player.

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